Insecure S3:E1 Review | The Business of Boundaries
If it’s one thing I’ve learned in my 25 year span of fuck ups and fix ups (some of yall call it life), is that BOUNDARIES ARE NECESSARY. Aint nobody better equipped to train others how to treat you than YOU, boo. Pastor Issa is using the first episode of our favorite show to demonstrate just that.
We ended season 2 with Issa couch surfing at Daniel’s and Molly being messy with somebody else's husband and when we pick back up in season 3, we see the efforts of both these ladies to maintain what little sense of order they can in the messy situation they placed themselves in. Issa is trying to maintain a friendship and live with a guy she has a complicated sexual and romantic history with and Molly is trying to remain unscathed as a plus one in her homeboy’s open marriage. Both ladies attempt to use boundaries to carve out a bit of peace for themselves in the drama.
The show opens with my new jam, Sticky, blending melodically to the sounds of somebody getting their back blown out. We soon see Daniel’s chocolate toned buns and we assume we’ll see Issa joining him in the bump and grind, but to our surprise, it’s some other chick. Where’s Issa you ask? She chilling awkward as hell on the couch right outside the room Daniel is smashing in. Way to set boundaries huh?
Frieda not wanting to put in a good word for Issa which she called “rocking the boat in her new position at work” was a familiar sting. You know how some white women love Beyonce and wanna smile in our faces but don’t wanna dismantle the hierarchy of power to elevate women of color out of fear of losing their perceived seat at the table (it aint even real sis, you just as marginalized as us!)? No? Well Imma take my social justice warrior hat off but I’m watching your Frieda. Also was I the only one who thought that scene where Frida and the boss lady were sitting in the office was a bit odd? I thought Issa’s boss yelling at her for taking initiative was completely uncalled for and very indicative of a deeper issue within the company that I’m sure we’ll explore deeper throughout the season. Maybe the fact that We Got Yall, a program geared towards minority student engagement, being led a white woman who balks at the input and feedback of women of color is the issue, and not the fact that Issa was just trying to help. Issa I think it’s time for you to be looking for a new job, sis.
Molly is teaching us a very important lesson about setting boundaries in this episode. You gotta set and NEVER forget. What’s the point of establishing something you won't put the effort in to maintain? Molly gives Dro the option of either being her friend with no sex or strictly dickly, to which they both agree to just be butt buddies. Dro then proceeds to completely railroad over their newly established fuck buddy framework and she lets him. This perfectly demonstrates a key principle of boundary setting: the responsibility is YOURS. Of course, the other person will have no problem A town stomping aaaaaaall over your boundaries cause they not considering your personal well being and growth, they’re considering theirs! Also is anyone alarmed by how much time the married man Dro has to call Molly?
Are men really as unaware in real life as they are in Insecure? I find it hilarious that Daniel didn’t even think twice about the fact that Issa chose him out of all people to stay with until his sister mentioned it. He had to know deep down something was up right? I don’t think it’s normal protocol to loudly smash girls while you have a guest on your couch, especially if the guest is low key your ex. Somebody’s in denial.
The entire Lyft scene was absolutely hilarious and left me with the urgent action item of finding out who the fine ass Lyft bae was. Light eyes looked so familiar to me but I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I’d seen him before. After a quick google search, I found out he was Kendrick Sampson, aka the fine dude from How to Get Away with Murder. While Issa doesn’t need anymore man problems, I wouldn’t mind seeing that face cross my tv screen a couple more times.
Issa comes back from her nighttime ridesharing adventures to finally confront Daniel with her unrefined feelings. Am I the only one who believes it’s best to work out your feelings internally before subjecting others to them? Like what’s the point in telling Daniel you still have feelings if you “don’t want to be together or anything” ? GIRL, just keep it to yourself then. She also forces him to come to terms with the fact that his loud ass late night rendezvous in that small ass shared space, is a bit more than an expression of his high libido.
Molly gets out the shower and contemplates whether or not to wear lingerie for someone else’s husband (if it was me, he’d be lucky if I shaved) and she walks into her kitchen to discover that Dro had already welcomed himself in the kitchen AND poured 2 glasses of wine just because “she wasn’t answering. ” (uh boundaries?) How he went from restricting their relationship to strictly sexual to using keys, is beyond me. There seems to be a trend of clueless men on this show.
Molly, freaked out by his blatant disregard for her boundaries, asks for her key back. 1. It is Molly’s house. 2. Molly pays the bills. Tell me why this man followed her request with a question?! #HOWSWAY Molly snaps and releases her true feelings about her involvement in Dro’s open marriage and Dro flips at the mention of his wife’s name. I know that men who cheat usually have a visceral reaction to the mention of their wives because it reminds them of their infidelity, but if Dro is really in an open marriage why he flip like that? His overall sense of entitlement to Molly, her time, AND her personal space is so annoying. Nigga you are in a WHOLE MARRIAGE and you out here poppin up in Molly house. Come on beloved, something aint right.
This first episode was a hot mess in the best way and I’m excited to see where this season will take us. Hold on to your edges, I feel like Issa is gonna take on wild ride. What were you favorite parts of the show?